Shocking pink bougainvillea in full bloom in Nazareth, Israel, in February 2012.

According to Wikipedia, bougainvillea is a genus of thorny ornamental vines, bushes, and trees belonging to the four o’ clock family, Nyctaginaceae. The inflorescence consists of large colorful sepal-like bracts which surround three simple waxy flowers, gaining popularity for the plant as an ornamental.

The first European to describe these plants was Philibert Commerçon, a botanist accompanying French Navy admiral Louis Antoine de Bougainville during his voyage of circumnavigation of the Earth.

(Photo ©2012 by Susan McKee)